


Living in a Heartbreak Dream

by casualwonderlust



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Libraries, Older Man/Younger Woman, Research
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-12 09:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11159493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casualwonderlust/pseuds/casualwonderlust
Summary: Leslie goes to the library for one reason and one reason alone, to get extra credit. She's just another junior trying to survive the semester. But a chance meeting with a brown-eyed man might just change her mind, and send her into a tailspin. After all, you never know what you might find at a library, right?





	1. An encounter in the library

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Parks and Rec fic. I really love Ben and Leslie, and this idea has been floating in my head for days. Title is from the Betty Who song. Hope you guys enjoy!

“Leslie, it’ll be fine” Ann said as Leslie marched her way up the steps of the Indianapolis Public Library. The fiery blonde woman couldn’t contain her disgust as she stared at the building in front of her.

“This is where you are wrong, Ann, my fantastic tea-cup pig” Leslie grumbled to her friend through the phone. “The library is the absolute worst place ever. Who even decided to create such an establishment?! It is unconstitutional!”

“Oh, relax… aren’t you exaggerating a little too much?” her best friend sighed.

“No, I am not! _Exaggerate_? Me? Why, I never!!” Leslie argued. “Seriously, Ann. When I become governor, remind me to make libraries illegal.”

“Think of it as a learning experience. You never know what you might find at a library” her best friend encouraged in a forced polite tone. Leslie gave a non-committed hum in response.

“I just can’t believe Mr. Jamm would make me do this! I asked for some extra credit work and he tells me to do some research at _A LIBRARY_?!!? That man is a _monster_ ; he doesn’t deserve the right to teach at a professional level!!!” Leslie complained as she paced back and forth in front of the library’s entrance, not daring to take one step into the establishment.

“Come on, Les!!! Learning experience?” Ann replied in a bemused voice. “But seriously, I have to go study for that Natural Science quiz I’m taking tomorrow. Just text me later if some librarian eats you or something. See you later for lunch, don’t forget!”

“Fine. You do your studying; I’ll just go into the very depths of _hell_ ” Leslie whined before bidding her friend goodbye and clicking her phone shut.

The building in front of her was tall and old. So old, it looked like a national artifact that should be kept in a museum. Ooh, _a museum_! Leslie loved museums; they held so much actual relevance to society. Why couldn’t she have been assigned to a beautiful museum instead of this stupid library? She only had her stupid American History professor, Mr. Jamm, to blame for assigning her to do some research at a library as some twisted excuse for extra credit. _And on her free day, too!?!?_ She could be doing even better things with her free day off, but _noooo_ Jamm wanted her to read books.

 _‘You really need this credit, though_ ’, the reasonable voice in her head reminded Leslie as she glared at the library, and although she would never admit it aloud, the voice was right. She needed the extra credit so she could finish the semester with honors. The straight A report card would totally secure her chances of getting the internship at the congressional office. No normal college student ever gets the chance to intern at a high-ranking government office when they’re only a junior, but Leslie would be damned if she let the opportunity pass her by.

Finally, after staring at the structure from top to bottom, Leslie took a deep breath and steeled herself. She made her way into the library and shivered in revulsion at the site of the hundreds of books surrounding her and all the librarians, _aka actual spawns of Satan_ , walking around and attending to visitors. She tried to calm herself, and unconsciously, she gripped the sleeve of her messenger bag tighter.

Carefully, she walked towards the help-desk to inquire for the whereabouts of the specific books that Jamm had ordered her to read. Seated in front of the counter was a boy that was around her age; he wore a gray hoodie with the hood on, and he had his earphones in his ears. He looked like he was bored out of his mind, and Leslie couldn’t help but agree with his current predicament.

 _'Yeah, I’d feel sorry for me too if I had to work at a stinking library'_ , she thought to herself quietly.

“What do you want?” the boy rudely asked, his one hand pulling out one of the earphones from his ear while the other reached out to something under the counter. After a few seconds of blindly searching for whatever he was looking for, he pulled a pack of already-opened chips and started to munch on them.

Leslie raised her eyebrow at his impolite tone. _Of course the librarians here are assholes too, why did I come here?_

“Uh, I’m looking for some history books? They’re called-“ she started to say but was cut off by the boy almost immediately.

“Then they’re probably in the History section” he interrupted before turning his attention back to his snack.

“Hey wait! You didn’t even let me say their names! What if the books I’m looking for are a _mixture_ of history and business management? Would I still find them in the History section or would they be in the Business section? OR do you guys have a weird mysterious inter-genre book section that you hide from the rest of the public?! _AND ALSO_ don’t you guys have a computerized system or something to help me find the books easier?!” Leslie snapped back, feeling her anger rise. The boy rolled his eyes at her and sighed, an action that made Leslie even angrier.

“Listen, lady. You just said they were history books so I’m pretty sure you’ll find them at the History department of the library. Also, we’re not fucking NASA, there’s no computerized system here so good luck with searching for those books…history section is upstairs to your right and its the last room in the hallway; don’t get lost” the boy answered sarcastically. He gave her a pointed look, and continued on eating his chips. She realized she wasn’t going to get anywhere by arguing with this ignorant librarian fool, and turned away from the counter in search of the right area.

Feeling a little fired up, Leslie stomped to the History section, making sure to glare at every librarian she saw on her way there. At the end of the hall was a room, with walls made of glass and four desks completely surrounded by dusty bookshelves. Leslie sighed and entered the room, placing her bag on one of the chairs and arranging her binders on top of the desk. She strolled the different aisles, letting her fingers skim across the spines of several books.

Contrary to popular belief, Leslie actually loved reading books. She just hated the institution that kept them away from the public. So, the idea of spending hours reading about government history was actually not that bad to a girl like Leslie. The only problem now was that she was way too short to grab “The Complete Biography of Abraham Lincoln’s Pets” that was perched up on the top shelf.

“Crap on a cracker” Leslie mumbled as she struggled on her tiptoes to get the book, one arm stretched up above her head while her other hand gripped the lower shelves for support and balance. Why the hell did she have to be so short?

Suddenly, she felt a warm presence behind her, and something hard pressed against her back. The calming aroma of freshly brewed coffee engulfed her senses, and she froze. A hand appeared beside her out-stretched arm and gracefully plucked the book off the shelf.

“You looked like you needed some help with this book of yours” a male voice erupted from behind her.

Leslie turned, and prepared herself to thank the stranger when her blue eyes were met with a pair of dark brown eyes, the color somehow reminding her of sweet chocolate. The stranger in front of her was a man dressed in a navy blue suit; he was tall, and he had tousled brown hair that stood up in several directions as if he raked his hands through his hair often.

He looked older, maybe in his late-twenties to early-thirties. He looked so different compared to the drunk jocks and fratboys she was used to seeing all around campus. Plus, he was cute…like extremely cute…in an older guy kind of way. _Screw that_ …he was absolutely attractive.

The man smirked and Leslie found herself smiling back, feeling her cheeks turn pink. He handed her the biography, and their fingers brushed against each other as she took the book from his hand. Leslie let out a quiet gasp as she felt the oddly comfortable sensation run throughout her body at the smallest touch of their hands.

“Uh..thanks” Leslie says, hugging the book to her chest. The man gave her a small smile and stepped back, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit.

“No problem. So…what brings you to the backrooms of the Indianapolis Library, Miss…err?”

“My name is Leslie…Leslie Knope” she introduced herself, flashing the kindhearted stranger her biggest smile.

“Hello, Leslie Leslie Knope. I’m Ben Wyatt. Nice to meet you.” he greeted her, eyes twinkling and lips turned up to a crooked grin. ”Now, is that thing with you having the same first and second name something your parents thought of or is it like a family tradition?”

Leslie cackles at the joke, then after realizing how obnoxious her laugh sounds, she quickly covers her mouth in embarrassment. Ben chuckles, and casually runs a hand through his brown locks. Leslie watched the movement, and she finds herself wanting to bury her fingers in his hair. She blushes at the thought, and squeezes the book tighter to her body.

“So…Leslie, what brings you to the exciting world of the History department?” Ben asked with a sarcastic note tinged in his voice. He raised an arm and gestured to the old and dusty room around them, and raised an eyebrow at her. Leslie giggled at his sarcasm, and shrugged at him.

“Oh you know…I needed to do some research” Leslie explained, moving to the table at the center of the room. She took a seat beside her bag and watched as Ben peeled off his suit jacket, and draped it against the chair in front of her. She unconsciously bit her lip as he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

“Wow…you sure look like you’re working really hard for someone researching about a dead president’s pets” he teased, taking a seat directly across from her. He pointed at all her multi-colored binders. Leslie noticed that he had brought a few of his own things when he placed his laptop on the desk and turned it on.

“Hey! It sounds stupid but the piece I’m writing on Abe’s pets will blow your mind” she defended in a joking manner.

Ben raised his hands in mock defense and smirked, “Oh, I’m sure it will…it’ll definitely be interesting.”

Leslie grinned at him and proceeded to pull out some post-its and pens to start on annotating.

“So you write?” Ben asked all of a sudden. Leslie looked up and saw that he was casually staring at her, an elbow perched on top of the table and his chin leaning on his hand. He was observing her with a bemused smile, and she blushed under his gaze.

“You could say that…” she mumbled, eyes darting away to look at anything other than his sweet brown eyes.

Well…technically, it wasn’t really a lie. She was a writer…she was writing a research paper, after all. She just omitted the part wherein she was a junior in college, writing about some stupid history fact for a higher grade. So, it wasn’t completely a lie but neither was it the truth.

She hated lying but something inside her just told Leslie that maybe telling Ben that she was still in college was not a good idea. She liked Ben; he was something different. She wanted to keep talking to Ben. And if he found out that she hasn’t even graduated, he might not want to talk to her anymore.

“Anyways, what about you? What are you doing here?” she asked, changing the topic as best as she could.

“I had to do some researching of my own…needed some inspiring old political quote said by Washington so I can include it into a speech” he explained.

“Speech? Are you a speech writer?” Leslie inquired, perking up almost immediately. She loved everything about speeches; writing them, practicing them, saying them in her sleep…well no, she should probably not mention that part.

“No…I, uh, I’m a campaign manager” he answered. Ben rubbed a spot behind his neck and shrugged in his seat. He looked embarrassed and a little uncomfortable after confessing his job title.

“What? Really?? You run campaigns!? That’s amazing” Leslie’s eyes widened. “Whose campaign have you run that I’ve heard of?”

“Uhhh…Senator Grant’s?” he admitted sheepishly as her jaw dropped to the floor.

Leslie had followed the senator’s campaign with utmost intensity and scrutiny. She practically idolized the man and his charismatic ways, and she celebrated and danced for joy when he was elected. Now, to find out that the man she had just met a couple of minutes ago ran one of the most successful campaigns she had ever seen, she was left utterly gobsmacked.

“YOU RAN SENATOR GRANT’S CAMPAIGN!??!? YOU RAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS IN DECADES!!! OH MY GOD, THAT IS INCREDIBLE!” Leslie gushed, her body buzzing in excitement. Ben sat up and gaped at her with a shocked and bashful expression. He was surprised by how passionate she sounded as she talked about politics.

“Yeah, it was tough…many long nights and tiring meetings” Ben shrugged as he began typing something out on his laptop

“Wow…working for the government…you are so lucky” she mumbled. He lifted his head from his computer screen and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Really? You’re interested in politics?”

“Of course! What’s not to like? Changing lives, making a difference…public service is an admirable career choice” she answered. Ben smiled, something in his eyes shifting, as he looked at her with an expression she couldn’t define.

“Maybe you should run for office” he replied.

“Maybe you should run my campaign” she challenged back. Ben laughed at her response, and together, the two of them smiled and laughed.

Leslie sighed and tried to calm herself as she wrote out notes and ideas into one of her binders. She felt intimidated by Ben’s presence. All her focus shifted to the man in front of her. He was like an _actual adult_. And he worked in the government. That’s like her dream job. This guy was definitely no ordinary white-collar official. But then again, he was sort of nerdy, an adorable dork who apparently loved Star Wars and watched reruns of documentaries on the History channel.

Leslie tried her very hardest to work on her assignment, but Ben was proving to be quite the distraction. He had all but forgotten the work he had brought on his laptop, and they started an easy-going conversation.

They talked about anything and everything, history, politics, government reforms; she listened intently to his anecdotes about the campaign offices and the crazy chaos he found in them. In addition, he seemed genuinely interested when she told him of stories about her beloved hometown, Pawnee. He even asked her about JJ’s waffles, and laughed when she professed her love to the breakfast food.

After about an hour in the room, all signs of work had been ignored and discarded. His laptop was closed and shoved to the side of the table, and all her binders were stacked on top of one seat, her pens scattered on the floor. She and Ben were on the floor, leaning against one of the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and she giggled as Ben did impressions of each founding father as he read out quotes from a book.

Two knocks on the door interrupted their little bubble. Quickly, the two of them stood up from the floor, and watched as the boy from the front-desk peeped into the room. He gave them both a disinterested look as Ben coughed nervously while Leslie patted down the wrinkles on her dress.

“It’s 2pm, and all library staff are on lunch break…if you guys need some help, figure it out on your own” the boy said before leaving. Ben rolled his eyes at the librarian’s attitude, and ran his hand through his hair.

“Well, that was helpful” he murmured sarcastically, receiving a snort from Leslie in response.

“Wait, did he say that it was 2pm!?” Leslie exclaimed. She scrambled to the desk and started packing all of her binders. “Crap crap crap, I totally forgot about lunch with Ann!”

“Whoa, slow down there” Ben said as he handed her some pens that had fallen to the ground. She smiled gratefully at him and took the pens from his hand.

She grabbed her bag and placed it on her shoulder. Taking one last look at Ben, she gave him a small smile. She really did not want to leave; she enjoyed Ben’s company, and wanted to keep talking to him.

“I’m sorry. I have plans to meet my friend for lunch. It was really nice meeting you and talking to you and yeah” she rambled. Ben gave her a lopsided grin and stuffed his hands into his pant pockets, nodding his head at her. “Good luck with Congressman Murray’s campaign! I’m sure you’ll write a great speech”

Leslie made her way to the door and gave Ben one last grin before bidding him goodbye. Her heart sank with every step she took as she made her way out of the library. She couldn’t help but picture Ben’s soft brown eyes in her head, strangely missing the man she had just met. But just as she was about to step foot outside, a familiar voice shouted from behind her.

“Leslie! Wait!” Ben practically sprinted towards her from the end of the hall. She turned at the sound of his voice, her heart beating profusely. She watched as Ben slowed down to a stop right in front of her. She gave him a questioning glance, and waited as he panted for air.

"Oh, did I forget one of my binders? Crap, sorry, I really should've counted what I brought" Leslie said, hand darting back to her messenger bag to see if she had misplaced any of her things.

“No, no. It's not that, you didn’t leave anything. Okay this might sound crazy…maybe it is, uh, maybe I’m crazy?” Ben babbled, his hand going to his hair, fingers pulling at the ends. He sounded breathless. “And I know we just met, but I really liked talking to you. You’re the first person, in a long time, who I can actually keep up a _solid_ conversation with, and, you know, it’s not like I’m anti-social or anything…but I _really_ enjoyed talking to you. So yeah, uh, would you maybe want to talk again? Soon?”

Ben pursed his lips, and waited for her reply with a nervous look on his face. He tilted his head and Leslie could see the hopefulness in his eyes; she also sensed something else, something akin to warmth, as he looked at her.

She stood still, shocked to silence. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Was Ben asking her out on a date? As in actual cool-guy Ben, who runs campaigns and writes political speeches, wanted to go on a date with her, a sugar-addicted college undergrad (that part he still didn’t know about, by the way) who was way too passionate about parks and waffles.

"Yes" she heard herself say before overthinking her answer. In return, Ben gave her a bright smile and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay cool, _err_ , so how does this work? Do I get your number? Do you want to get some coffee some time?" Ben stammered. Leslie bit her lip to keep from giggling in giddiness.

"Actually...we could maybe meet up here tomorrow? After all, I still need to do some work because I think I spent more time talking to _someone_ than actual time working on my research" she replied before giving him a mock glare. Ben chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Ok, yeah, sure. I can come back tomorrow, you know, _for research_ " he emphasized whilst giving her a pointed look.

"Then its settled. I'll meet you here around 11-ish?" Leslie felt like twirling a lock of her hair as she spoke, but she pushed down the urge. "To do some _research_ , of course."

"Yeah research" he mumbled, giving her a sly smirk. His eyes darting down to her lips. It even looked like they darkened a bit as he stared, making Leslie bite her lip.

"Okay...can't wait" she responded, breathless at the thought of seeing Ben again. Leslie bid her mysterious new library friend with promises of seeing him the next day, and as she walked down the steps of the library, she felt excited to the bones. She turned back and saw Ben still standing by the library's entrance, giving her a wave, which she returned with one of her own.

Pursing her lips, she took out her phone and started passionately typing away all the details about her encounter to Ann, who in turn, absolutely freaked out when she was brought up to date over what had transpired.

“Leslie! See, I told you! You never know what you might find, and you, my dear friend, found yourself a cute guy” Ann exclaimed as they sat together in the campus cafe, an hour later. “ _Oh Les_ , he seems like the perfect guy for you. He’s nerdy, like you, and he works for the government, something you want to do. Plus, he writes speeches?! You love speeches!”

“I know!” Leslie giggled while sipping on her hot chocolate, which was almost entirely just whipped cream…so what, she liked sugar, okay? She had the right to buy as much sugar as the next person, even if it meant purchasing almost fifty percent of the whipped cream from the monthly stock of the cafe.

“Okay, we have to talk about what you’re wearing tomorrow. As your best friend, I absolutely _forbid_ you from wearing your pink sweater” Ann says, grabbing her best friend by the shoulder and giving her a serious look.

“What?! I love that sweater!” the blonde whined and pouted at her friend.

“It makes you look like a preppy college kid…which you are, by the way…something you also haven’t mentioned to Ben” Ann teased.

“Oh, right” Leslie mumbled, taking a nervous sip of her drink. She had totally forgotten the white lie she had told.

“Now you know I love you, Les, but even I find it hard to believe that you, one of the worst liars I have ever met, didn’t tell Mister Library Hottie about how you’re actually still in college” Ann said, pointing out the hard truth. Leslie sighed, and chugged down the rest of her drink whilst signaling the barista, her friend Tom Haverford, to refill her cup.

“Oh, Ann, you precious pelican! You’re always doing the right thing. I know I messed up, but how could I not lie? Ben, he, he’s just so _grown-up,_ you know? But he’s the first person who didn’t see me as some annoying college kid who doesn’t know better. He saw me for me, _just Leslie_. Plus, I don’t know, if I told him that I’m still in college, what if he doesn’t want to continue talking to me after that?” she pouted. Ann gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her on the back.

“First of all, you are _not_  annoying and anyone who says you are is crazy for not seeing the amazing, passionate girl I see sitting in front of me. And if Ben doesn’t want to talk to you just because you haven’t graduated, then screw him, he’s not so grown-up after all” Ann declares. Leslie gave her brunette friend a thankful grin. Seriously, Ann Perkins was an actual life-saver.

Leslie opened her mouth to voice her thanks but was cut off by another voice chiming into the conversation.

“What’s this about lying to older guys? You girls doing some kinky stuff over here?” Tom asked cheekily, giving the two girls a suggestive smirk. He grabbed Leslie’s mug and poured some more hot chocolate. “Anyways, if you two are into that stuff, why lie about it? Some older guys are into that younger college girl vibe, you know.”

“ _Ugh_ , beat it, Haverford. The last thing Leslie should do is listen to your advice” Ann said dismissively, rolling her eyes at Tom. “Besides, shouldn’t you be doing actual work instead of bothering patrons?”

“You two are the only people in here” Tom pointed out. Leslie turned around and inspected the whole cafe, and true to Tom’s words, she and Ann were really the only customers in the shop. “But seriously, Knope, I didn’t know you had a thing for older guys.”

Leslie glared at the barista. She wasn’t into older guys…just Ben. And technically, someone as adorkable as Ben doesn’t count as a true older guy. He was, at most, maybe eight years older than her. Although, this is her guessing; Leslie didn’t actually ask him for his age…maybe she should have asked. At least then, she would actually have a gauge on which to tell if it was inappropriate or not to like Ben.

“Shut up, Tom. Get going or I’ll make your life a living hell” Ann growled. Tom leaned down until he was at eye-level with the brunette.

“I find your threats real sexy” he grinned. Ann glared at him, and reached out to grip onto the collar of his polo shirt. She gave him a truly terrifying gaze and narrowed her eyes at the short man’s shocked look.

“I know about a hundred ways to stop a person’s heart…don’t make me test them out on you, Tom” she snapped back. In return, Tom gave her a nervous smile, complete with teeth and all. He hurriedly pried off Ann’s fingers away from his shirt with shaking hands and skittered away to the backroom of the coffee shop.

Leslie gave her friend an impressed expression, and squeezed Ann’s fingers in response. “Come on, let’s go back to the dorms. Let’s study for tomorrow’s test.”

They finished off their drinks and started grabbing their bags. Together, they left the cafe, with Leslie bidding a jumpy Tom goodbye. As they walked along the pathways to the dormitories, Ann filled Leslie in on the lessons she had to review for her upcoming quiz, even though Leslie already knew most of the topics from her reading in advance.

“What are you going to do about tomorrow’s library date?” Ann asked, all of a sudden. Leslie shrugged, looking up at the sky as she walked. She closed her eyes and sighed; she could picture warm brown eyes, Ben’s eyes. Suddenly, she felt all warm inside.

“I’m just going to see where it goes” Leslie answered, her voice loud and clear.

“As long as you don’t get hurt” Ann added.

“Yeah” she mumbled back, her head reeling and heart beating fast.

She could so do this lying thing… a small tiny lie never hurt anybody, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the first chapter! Please leave a kudos or a comment! I'm sorry if there are grammar errors, please tell me if you do spot them!


	2. A much needed cup of coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leslie has a test but still goes on that date with Ben...for research, of course, duh.

Leslie stared at herself in the mirror. Behind her stood Ann, her beautiful precious best friend, who was currently in the midst of fixing her hair. Ann grumbled as she fussed over Leslie.

“Okay, let’s go over this again.” Ann said as she brushed Leslie’s blonde locks. “Lip Balm?”

“Check. It’s in my bag, and I have an extra one in my pocket for emergencies” Leslie answered back.

“Breath mints?” “Check. You even got me my favorite flavor, spearmint”, Leslie grinned.

“You’re welcome. Uh, wallet?”, replied Ann.

“I’ve got it in my bag” Leslie replied.

She looked at herself and pursed her lips at the reflection in front of her. Was she wearing too much concealer? Would Ben even notice that? He didn’t seem to mind her appearance when they were together yesterday. Oh god, her hair looked horrible yesterday, she didn’t even condition then. Thank god for Ann and her beauty expertise.

“Condoms?” Ann asked, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Leslie glared at her friend through the mirror, and bit her lip.

“Ann! That’s so unnecessary! I don’t do _that_ on the first date. Plus, I’m not sure Ben’s even interested in me…he was probably asking me out to be polite…oh god, what if this isn’t a date and I just assumed it was?? What if we’re actually just going to do research!?! Have I misread the signs, Ann?!” she panicked.

“Okay, stop panicking, Knope. It’s definitely a date…I’m sure he asked you out, why wouldn’t he? You’re amazing. Plus, even if it isn’t a date, at least you’re dressed to impress! There’s no way he’s going to say no to you…you look smoking hot!” Ann reminded her, looking over her appearance once more before giving her the thumbs up. “But just in case…I _did_ stash one inside your coin purse because even though you guys are only hanging out for a few hours, a lot can be done in a short amount of time.”

Leslie sighed and ignored Ann wiggling her eyebrows at her. She stood up from her vanity, and tugged on the sleeves of her blazer. She was wearing a white chiffon dress that stopped right below her knees, and paired her outfit with a black blazer and matching heels. Ann convinced her to wear this outfit, stating that if Leslie had stated that she was someone with a job, then she should dress the part. Plus, she had to admit, she did look older than she actually was…which was really weird considering the fact that she was only 21 and that isn’t even _that_  young.

A part of Leslie’s brain yelled at her, trying to reason with her. T _his isn’t going to work! He’s gonna see right through your lies!_

Leslie felt the doubt inside of her start to grow, but she was distracted by her best friend placing a hand on her shoulder and looking at her with an intense look.

“Seriously, Les. Don’t worry, you’ve got this! Just be yourself” Ann encouraged her as she squeezed her shoulder for moral support. Leslie gave her a small smile, and nodded her head. Yes, she could do this. She was Leslie-freaking-Knope, and with enough courage, she could do anything!

“Okay…okay, you’re right! I can do this! I’m gonna do this. Ben is cute and I’m gonna go date his cute face so freaking hard!” she yelled, voice filled with confidence. Ann smiled at her in that way she does whenever she’s amused over Leslie’s boundless attitude.

“Right, you go do that, but remember we have a quiz today at four pm! Go have fun on your date, and be back here on campus by three thirty” Ann reminded her as she handed Leslie her bag and pushing her out the door.

Oh shoot, her test. In all of her excitement over getting asked out, she had forgotten that she had to take a history assessment test at four. In all honesty, she wasn’t too nervous about the test; she knew each of the states’ foreign exchange policies like the back of her hand. She just needed things to go according to plan. Go on the date then take the test…seems simple enough.

Leslie was all nerves as she sat in the same seat she had sat on yesterday when she was talking to Ben.

She had anxiously entered the library, and was rudely greeted by the same boy from the day before. She waved at him, trying to be polite. He gave her an uninterested look, and pointed towards the History department. She practically speed-walked up the stairs and towards the end of the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that Ben hadn’t arrived yet.

As the clock ticked, Leslie nervously tapped her fingers against the wooden desk. She was excited, and anxious; she hadn’t felt this jumpy since high school prom, when she had hooked up with Mark, and lost her virginity. Ben was just some stranger she had met yesterday, but the thought of him made her heart beat profusely. Plus, the fact that she had to keep up this act of being real mature, and grown-up.

“Maybe, this was a mistake”, she whispered. What was she doing? Could she really do this? What if Ben finds out? Oh god, why was she such a mess?

She swore under her breath, and tried to think of topics she could talk about with Ben. The last thing she wanted to do was have an awkward conversation filled with more silence than words. Maybe, she could talk about Lil’ Sebastian? Or Ramsett Park? Or maybe the murals found inside the Pawnee City Hall?

Leslie was roused from her reverie by an approaching figure. She looked past the glass wall in front of her, and recognized Ben as he walked towards the room she was in. From outside, he gave her a wave and she quickly waved back, standing from her seat.

A few seconds later, Ben opened the door and let himself in. She took a couple of steps away from the desk and met him halfway. They stood a couple of feet away from each other, and he smiled at her. She took a second to fully look at him and noticed that he was wearing a different suit today, with the tie loosened around his collar and a couple of buttons at the top of his dress-shirt were unbuttoned. His hair looked the same as it did yesterday, unruly and messy.

“Hi” she mumbled, giving him a shy smile.

“Hey”, he replied, sounding breathless. “Uh, sorry I’m late. I was just trying to find a place to park. All the spots in front of the building were taken.”

“Yeah, Indianapolis really needs to fix its traffic scheme and parking codes” Leslie stated. She felt quite stupid just standing there and smiling at him, but she couldn’t help it; there was an incredible amount of butterflies racking up in her stomach.

“So…how’s the research going?” Ben asked as he took a step closer to her. Now, they were within grabbing distance of each other, and Leslie could smell his cologne; he smelled of a mixture of aftershave and coffee.

“Uh, it’s going great! I’ve moved on from the presidential pets to their weird hobbies!” she said, grateful that she had something to talk about. “Did you know that John Quincy Adams liked to skinny dip from time to time?”

He gave her a bemused smile, and shook his head. “Well, no actually, I didn’t know that. You really have to let me read what you’re writing; it sounds like it’s going to be quite the eye-opener.”

She giggled and lightly punched his shoulder. “Okay, you can read it when it’s finished. BUT ONLY if you promise not to laugh at it, Mr. I-write-speeches-for-governors-and-senators.”

“Hey, I won’t make fun of it. I’m sure whatever you write will be amazing” he says, and the way he says it, like he’s so sure of what she has to offer and like he trusts her, makes Leslie’s stomach feel funny. This man was something entirely different.

“So, I know you’re probably wanting to get right to researching and all, but why don’t we go grab some coffee first? I know a place that’s walking distance from here. What do you say?” he offered. He raises his hand towards her, and gives her yet another adorable grin.

“I’d love to” she says, taking his hand.

It’s a friendly gesture, she’s held hands with friends before. But somehow, this is different. Ben’s hand feels warm around hers, it’s actually quite comforting. His hand is so much bigger as well, his fingers are long and his grip secure but still loose, leaving her space to pull her hand away whenever she wanted to.

Together, they walked peacefully out of the library, and Leslie felt the warm afternoon air hit her. The sun was shining brightly and the streets were filled with people on their lunchbreak. All signs of anxiety and nervousness seemed to slowly leave her body as they walked hand-in-hand to the coffee place Ben was talking about. She laughed as Ben talked about the newest development in the campaign.

Apparently, the congressman had his fair share of embarrassing hobbies.

As Ben babbled on about his boss’ weird habits, Leslie took a moment to glance down at their joined hands. Something about this, the way conversations just seemed to flow naturally between them and the way her hand felt in his…it felt right. She knew that they were merely strangers; for crying out loud, she had only met the guy yesterday! But somehow… _this just felt right._

“This is the place” Ben said as he gestured towards a small little shop at the corner of the street. It was a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop built on brick; it looked cozy and warm. It was perfect. Leslie smiled as he tugged her along with him. They entered the cafe, and she let out a tiny sigh as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled her senses. There were a couple of businessmen in suits seated all around the shop; they were all busy and looking on their devices.

He let go of her hand, and approached the cashier. She frowned, missing the feeling of his touch.

“I’ll take a cup of your Americano” he said to the girl behind the cash register. “and a cup of hot chocolate…I’ll pay extra for some whipped cream.”

Leslie’s heart beats a mile a minute. He remembered.

Yesterday, she had casually mentioned that her favorite drink to order whenever she was stressed was hot chocolate. And today, he was ordering the drink in front of her very own eyes. Plus, he even ordered extra whipped cream!!! She couldn’t believe it.

 _‘Ben Wyatt, you are really something else’_ , she thought to herself. He turned back to her; his expression soft, as if to ask if what he had ordered was okay. She bit her lip and nodded quietly. It was definitely so okay.

The cashier gave Ben his change, and led the two of them to an open booth in front of a window. Leslie slides down and seats herself across from Ben.

“I’m sorry, I ordered for you; that was kind of a douche move. It’s just that, you had mentioned hot chocolate yesterday, and since you’re working real hard on this piece you’re writing, I figured you deserve a good cup of your favorite drink, you know?” he apologized. Leslie shook her head.

“No no, it’s fine. I actually really appreciate the fact that you remembered” she replied. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

A couple of minutes pass by, and the barista calls out their orders. Ben stands up and grab their drinks. He hands her the bowl of whipped cream, and watches as she scoops an ungodly amount of the sugary substance into her spoon to dump in her drink.

“So tell me more about the weird hobbies our former presidents have” he says as he takes a sip of his coffee.

She happily informs Ben about Lincoln’s wrestling career, Roosevelt’s exercise regimen, and all these facts she had read up on. He, in turn, listens intently; his expression showing that he was putting all his attention on what she was saying. Leslie couldn’t believe it, he actually looked like he was very interested in what she was saying. A lot of people would try to shut her up but Ben was the complete opposite; he encouraged her to talk, even asking questions and giving suggestions on how to phrase some of the scenarios in her paper.

It’s here in the conversation wherein she learns Ben’s age. He’s 29, turning thirty this year. Okay, so he was eight year older than her. Cool, that didn’t seem so bad. _Right?_

Before they knew it, they had spent over two hours in the cafe, just talking and enjoying each other’s presence. He had ordered another cup of coffee for himself and even asked for another bowl of whipped cream without her having to nervously request that he do so.

Leslie found that time seemed to be insignificant the more she talked to Ben. With Ben, it felt like the whole world didn’t matter, and it was just the two of them in their little bubble.

“Awww” she whined as she noticed that she was running out of whipped cream. She scraped off what was remaining into her spoon and shoved it into her mouth. Ben just chuckled at her actions, and she blushed.

 _'Oh god, I really just did that in front of someone, didn’t I?'_ , she inwardly cringed.

“God, you’re adorable. You have a little left on your-” Ben smiled. He raised his hand and lifted his hand to her face. His thumb brushed against the corner of her lips, wiping away any excess cream.

She froze, not knowing what to do. His touch was light, but the action itself left her entirely speechless. His hand was so warm, it took all of her will to not lean against his open palm.

He freezes as he pulls his hand away from her face, like he, himself, couldn’t believe that he had just done what he did. The air around them grows tense as they stare at each other. She was blushing a red color so deep that if Tom were here, he would call her a tomato. Ben rakes his hand through his hair and lets out a shaky laugh.

“Wow okay…sorry…that was weird, uh, you just had some whipped cream on your cheek and I-“ he rambled.

“No, it’s fine”

“Uh no it really wasn’t. It was inappropriate and damn, I just made this really awkward. Nice going, Benji” he mumbled. Leslie frowned and sat up. She poked his hand that was on the table, and gave him a small smile.

“I thought it was sweet of you to do that…” she said, shyly. He perks up, and looks at her with unsure eyes. “Benji…huh? Wait…I’ve heard that name before. Where have I heard that from?”

It takes her a few seconds to finally get it but when she does…oh boy.

“OH MY GOD! Are you Benji Wyatt from Partridge, Minnesota!?” she exclaims, nearly standing from her seat in the booth. Ben widens his eyes at her, and his mouth pops open. The other people in the shop turn their heads towards their booth, but Leslie is too shocked to be embarrassed by her loudness.

“What!? How do you know about that?” he asks, shocked. He places a finger on her lips to silence her, and he turns around and apologizes to the businessmen around them.

“You-you’re the kid-mayor! Oh my lord, wow. You just keep on surprising, don’t you, Wyatt?” she teased as Ben scratched the back of his neck in mortification. “You were so inspiring, you know? Mayor at eighteen, you lived my dream!”

“Well, it wasn’t really that much of a dream. It kind of became my nightmare” he said, his voice low, eyes downcast as he spoke. “Kid-mayor really ruined my life.”

Then Ben proceeded to explain how he came up with the idea of Ice Town, which sounded amazing in Leslie’s opinion. He told her that things quickly turned south, and he had managed to lead the town into bankruptcy, which thus led to him being impeached and disgraced.

Leslie listened to Ben and couldn’t help but feel bad for what he had gone through. From how he told his story, it sounded like he was working real hard to correct the mistakes he had made in the past. She gripped his hand as a sign of comfort, and watched as he gulped down the rest of his cold coffee.

“Let’s get out of here, get some fresh air” she suggested. He gave her a grateful smile, and stood up from the booth, offering his hand to her once more. She took his hand and let herself be pulled up from her seat. Biting her lip, she watched Ben as they walked out of the coffee place and down the sidewalk. He seemed anxious, his grip on her hand was soft and unsure. She could even feel his fingers shaking around the back of her palm.

“I’m sorry. Me talking about my past is kind of a touchy subject…and I’ve totally made things weird now, haven’t I?” he laughed in a self-deprecating manner. Leslie squeezed his hand, and stopped walking abruptly. He stumbled backwards and looked at her.

“No…this day has been perfect” she assured him in a sure voice. “And I know we just met like literally yesterday, but…sitting in that coffee shop with you, talking to you, listening to you…it’s all been perfect. I really like talking to you, Ben.”

She blushed brightly and used her free hand to cover her mouth, eyes closed in fear of the rejection that was surely coming. Why couldn’t she just shut up for a second? Now, Ben was probably too weirded out by what she had just said and-

Suddenly, the hand that was holding hers tightened its gripped, and tugged her forwards. She fell forwards, dropping her purse on the ground beside her, and her eyes shot open as she collided into warmth, Ben’s chest. His arms wrapped around her lower back, just above her waist, and he looked down at her. And the look in his eye…it took her breath away.

He was looking at her like she was the goddamn sun. His eyes held something akin to wonder and amusement, like he was shocked, himself.

“You are seriously one of a kind, Leslie Knope. I really like talking to you too” he replied, his voice low. His eyes stayed locked on hers, and she blushed at their close proximity. With the way they were standing, she could literally feel everything.

His arms were secure around her. She could feel his heart beating fast against her chest because of how tightly he was holding her against him. She wondered if he could feel just how fast her heart was beating too.

Time stilled, and they stood there, holding each other close. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

“I’m going to kiss you now” Ben announced, eyes twinkling in mirth along with the certainty in his voice. Leslie gasped softly as he leaned in closer.

“Wait what?”

“Kissing you. _Now_.” he whispered as their foreheads leaned against each other. Leslie could feel his breath on her and smiled to herself.

“Okay but befo-“ she was cut off by his lips pressing against hers. He swallowed her gasp of surprise, and cupped her face in his hands, thumb lightly caressing over the spot he had brushed on awhile ago at the cafe. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair located just above the back of his neck.

She could confirm right now that kissing Ben was going to be her new addiction. His kisses were light and hard at the same time. He kissed with a passion that left her wanting more. When Ben kissed her, it was like him branding his name onto her lips, like him giving her everything and taking it all away in the same very breath.

They parted, gasping for air but still holding each other close. He slid his hands down her covered shoulders and down her arms until they landed on her waist. Their foreheads remained pressed together, and Ben grinned widely, making her giggle.

“Okay, not to sound stupid or whatever…but wow” he said, voice sounding breathless. She agreed to his sentiment. Seriously…wow. That was unlike any kiss she’s ever shared with anyone before.

_Beep beep beep_

Their moment was cut short by her phone vibrating in the pocket of her blazer. They both looked down at her phone, and sighed simultaneously. She reluctantly pulled away from Ben, and he let out a frustrated puff of air into her face, making her laugh. He kept his hands resting on her waist as she slipped her hand into her pocket to grab her phone. Her eyes widened as she read out the text on the screen.

 _Leslie. It’s 3:30. U better be on the way here._ \- Ann

“Oh frick!” Leslie swore as she jumped out of Ben’s grip. She bent down and grabbed her purse from the ground. She paced and tried to think of a gameplan.

 _'Okay, think Leslie. It’s three thirty, and you’re on the other side of town. If I go now, it’ll take twenty minutes to get back to the campus'_ , she thinks to herself.

“Uh…is everything alright?” Ben asked from behind her, looking dumbfounded at her sudden panic moment.

“I’m so sorry, Ben, but I-I have to go” she apologized. He frowned and looked at her with a confused expression.

“Oh…was my kissing that bad?” he asked, and Leslie scoffed at the question. His kissing was quite the opposite. In fact, it was taking her all her willpower not to get distracted by his lips.

“No, it’s just that I have a-a _meeting_ …yeah, a meeting, which I totally forgot about and it’s sort of a big deal” she lied, feeling guilty about her dishonesty.

Realization crept up on his face, and he nodded. “Oh I understand, I actually have to get back to work soon, too. Do you, maybe, want to ride with me? I can bring you wherever you need to go.”

“NO! Um…it’s fine, I can totally just take a cab back to the cam- err, office.”

“Are you sure? Where’s your office? My car’s parked only a block away from here” he offered.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thank you, though…for the offer, and for the coffee…plus the kiss. Wait, is that something you thank people for?” she babbled embarrassingly. Ben just chuckled at her mortified expression, and grabbed her by the hand again. His thumb stroked the back of her hand.

“We didn’t actually do any research today…what do you say to meeting again tomorrow?” he asked. She nodded her head profusely, and reached into her bag to grab a post-it (she always had a couple on-hand in case of emergencies, of course). She scribbled down her phone number, and stuck the note on the back of his hand.

Then feeling bold, she leaned forward, standing on her tiptoes (because Ben was actually kind of tall), and gave him a peck on his cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow” Leslie promised as she pulled away from him. He smiled, and nodded whilst letting go of her hand. She bid Ben farewell, and flagged down a taxi.

“I’ll text you!” Ben exclaims as she is getting into the cab.

“I’ll answer” she responds through the window. “

I’ll pay you double the fare if you can get me to IU in ten minutes” she whisper-orders to the taxi driver. The man nods his head and tells her to put on her seatbelt, and as the taxi speeds away, she turns her head to look back and sees Ben staring after her.

Leslie smiles, letting out a sigh of happiness. She leaned back against the cushion of the backseat and lets her eyes drift to a close. In a few minutes, she’ll be back to being a college student taking some stupid test she knows she’ll ace because _duh_ , it’s about history and she practically memorized the Constitution when she was eight years old.

But for now, for just a couple of hours, she’s just Leslie and he’s just Ben, and they totally just made out, making that little coffee trip one of the best dates she’s ever had.

Oh god, how could she lie to him after he had kissed her like that?

Once the cab had halted to a stop right in front of the IU campus, Leslie practically sprints her way to the testing hall. Thankfully, she makes it to the room just before test administrator enters to check attendance. She sees Ann waving to her from the back of the room, and she takes a seat beside her best friend.

“So, that date of yours must have gone well if it makes you, Miss Perfect-Attendance, almost late for the test” Ann says cheekily as the student assistant does a headcount on everyone in the room.

“Oh, Ann, you beautiful butterfly, I have so much to tell you!” Leslie gushed in a small voice.

“So, you did go on a date with an older dude, Knope?” Tom leaned in from behind her. Leslie turned and glared at him. “Well, good for you, Les. Go get that older D; you know it’s not so bad being a trophy wife.”

“Okay, ew. Tom, you really have to stop hanging out with Jean-Ralphio…and besides, I’m not a gold-digger, and Ben’s not _that_  old. He’s 29. That’s not that old right?” Leslie whispered as the admin started passing test papers around.

“Eww, what’s this about doing stuff with older guys? That’s kind of gross…old people freak me out” a voice said from in front of Leslie. It was April, Leslie’s _less-enthusiastic_  room mate.

“Everybody, knock it off and leave Leslie alone. We have a test to take” Ann shushed everyone. Leslie gave her a thankful smile, and they all started on the test.

The room went silent for thirty minutes as the students worked on their test. Leslie, being true to typical Leslie Knope fashion, finishes first and hands in her papers to the TA. She grabs her bag and signals for Ann to meet her outside after the test. She leaves the hall, and sits by the bench outside, waiting for her friends to finish up. She reaches into her bag to grab one of her journals, and is surprised to see a new message on her phone.

_So, there’s this diner near the library…seems like a great place to do some hardcore researching at. wanna check it out?_

_Also did u know that Nixon was great at cards? MINDBLOWN_

_oh this is Ben by the way…maybe should’ve started with that :/_

Leslie cackled at the text messages, and bites her lip to keep herself from smiling like a crazy person. How adorable could this guy get? He could go from facts and numbers nerd to intense and incredibly sexy in a matter of seconds.

Speaking of sexy…Leslie thought back to the kiss they had shared before she had abruptly left. It was amazing, and hot and wow she needed to see Ben like soon. She, unconsciously, brought her finger to her lips, remembering the way Ben’s lips seemed to mold perfectly against hers. She needed that feeling again. She _craved_ it.

“Uhhh…this blows! I’m definitely going to fail! I didn’t even know what state question 3 was referring to” Tom groaned, bringing Leslie out of her daydream. “Hey you guys want to go down to cafe? Me and Jean-Ralphio are having a coffee bean bonanza at six”

“You actually tried taking the test? I gave up halfway and just shaded dicks into the paper” April shrugged. “But I’m down for a party…as long as I can dress up like a mummy and scare people so that they choke on their drinks.”

“God, why are you two even in college?” Ann asks exasperatedly as she approaches Leslie on the bench. The blonde bounces up from her seat and joins her friends. “And that’s a no to the party for me and Les, we’re just going to head back to the dorms, now.”

“How was the test?” Leslie asked Ann after they had separated with their friends.

“Irrelevant. Now tell me the deets! How did it go?!” Ann asked impatiently. Leslie giggles and wraps her arm around Ann’s shoulders. She pulls her in, and starts whispering the day’s events into her ear. Once she finishes recounting her day, Ann gasps and pulls Leslie in for a hug. “Oh Les, what a day you’ve had, indeed!”

“I know I know, Ann, it was seriously so great. He got me whipped cream. WHIPPED CREAM!” she exclaimed. “Oh he’s texting me right now!!!”

They both look down to her phone, and read out the newly received text message.

_so I’ll see u tomorrow? just text me when you can get off work._

Leslie lets out a shaky laugh, and looks at her brunette friend for help. Ann gives her a disapproving look. Although Ann supported Leslie’s happiness, she was growing concerned over her friend’s ability to lie.

“This is probably what you don’t want to hear but this is just a warning. You can’t keep up this ruse forever, Les. He’s gonna find out sooner or later” Ann said, her voice filled with caution.

“I know, but you weren’t there Ann! You don’t know Ben!”

“Neither do you!”

“Yeah, but I’d like to, at least, have the time to get to know him better” Leslie pleaded.

“And what happens when that time comes to an end?” Ann crossed her arms over her chest.

“Then I’ll see where it goes from there” Leslie answered. She gives Ann her most confident smile, and begins typing down a reply to Ben’s text.

_can’t wait. see you tomorrow, benjamin!_

About a minute passes and she gets a reply.

_see u soon, lesliemin._

She was so screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos or a comment! Sorry for any grammatical errors that you might find!


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